The  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION 

JOHN  BARRETT  : : : Director  General 

FRANCISCO  J.  YANES  : Assistant  Director 


COLOMBIA 


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ASHINGTON,  D.  C. 


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COLOMBIA  IN  BRIEF 


Area,  476,916  square  miles  (1,235,214  square  kilometers). 

Population,  5,472,604.  (Census  of  1912.) 

Foreign  Commerce,  1915 

Exports §3i,579-i3i 

Imports 17,840,350 

Total $49,419,481 

Principal  Exports:  Coffee,  emeralds,  gold,  cattle  hides,  bananas, 
tagua  (ivory  nuts),  Panama  hats,  rubber,  etc. 

Principal  Imports:  Textiles,  foodstuffs  and  condiments,  metals, 
railway  supplies,  pharmaceutical  products,  soft  drinks,  wines,  and 
liquors. 

The  climate  along  the  coasts  is  tropical,  but  in  the  elevated 
regions  of  the  interior  temperate  and  healthful.  Bogota,  the  capi- 
tal, owing  to  its  elevation,  enjoys  a delightfully  cool  and  salubri- 
ous climate  the  year  round. 

Chief  physical  characteristics:  An  extended  coast  line  on  both 
the  Caribbean  Sea  and  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Three  chains  of  moun- 
tains cross  the  country,  one  of  these  being  the  source  of  the  Mag- 
dalena River,  which  empties  into  the  Caribbean  Sea.  The  Mag- 
dalena is  navigable  for  over  900  miles  (say  1,500  kilometers), 
while  the  Cesar,  Cauca,  Nechi,  Lebrija,  and  Sogamoso  are  naviga- 
ble for  varying  distances. 

Means  of  approach:  The  principal  ports  of  Colombia  on  the 
Caribbean  Sea  are  Puerto  Colombia,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Magda- 
lena River  and  connected  by  rail  with  Barranquilla,  18  miles  (28 
kilometers)  distant;  Cartagena,  Santa  Marta,  and  Riohacha. 
These  may  be  reached  by  steamers  from  New  York,  or  from  New 
Orleans  by  transshipment  to  coast  lines  at  Colon,  Panama.  The 
first  three  have  been  added  to  the  itinerary  of  the  United  Fruit 
Company’s  steamers  from  New  York.  They  are  ports  of  call  also 
for  several  European  lines.  On  the  Pacific  Ocean,  Buenaventura 
and  Tumaco  are  the  most  important  ports,  reached  by  all  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  lines  from  South  American  ports  and  from  Panama 
from  the  north.  There  are  regularly  traveled  roads  between 
Bogota  and  Venezuela  to  the  northeast  and  Ecuador  to  the  south. 


If  specific  information  in  regard  to  Colombia  not  contained  in  this  pamphlet  is  desired,  the  Pan 
American  Union  will  endeavor  to  provide  it  upon  application  t>  the  Director  General. 


The  Republic  of  Colombia  covers  an  area  of  476,916  square  miles 
( 1.235,214  square  kilometers),  with  a population  of  5,472,604  (census  of 
1912),  equal  to  11.47  inhabitants  per  square  mile  (4.43  per  square  kilo- 
meter). 

Three  chains  of  mountains  which  cross  the  country  produce  a variety 
of  climate  and  products,  ranging  from  the  temperate  to  the  tropical. 
Coffee,  cacao,  sugar  cane,  tobacco,  and  bananas  are  successfully  grown 
and  largely  exported,  and  the  extensive  forests  contain  a number  of 
valuable  cabinet  and  other  useful  woods  and  medicinal  plants.  Vege- 
table ivory  and  rubber  are  other  products  of  export;  also  "Panama” 
hats,  in  the  manufacture  of  which  the  natives  have  acquired  considerable 
skill.  The  mineral  wealth  of 
the  country  has  been  but  little 
exploited,  although  its  emerald 
mines  furnish  the  world’s  chief 
supply  of  these  gems.  Gold  is 
found  in  every  department,  and 
silver,  platinum,  mercury,  iron, 
and  lead  also  exist.  The  emer- 
ald and  salt  mines  and  the 
pearl  fisheries  are  Government 
monopolies.  Oil  has  recently 
been  found  in  paying  quanti- 
ties. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH 

When  Columbus,  on  his 
fourth  and  last  voyage,  had 
discovered  Cape  Gracias  a Dios,  on  September  14,  1502,  he  sailed  along 
the  Colombian  coast  for  a considerable  distance,  but  did  not  make  any 
attempt  to  settle  the  country  or  conquer  the  aborigines.  It  was  left 
for  Alonso  de  Ojeda,  who  in  the  year  1508  was  granted  the  land  lying 
east  of  the  Darien  River,  which  was  termed  the  Province  of  Uraba,  to 
attempt  the  conquest  of  the  country.  Ojeda  succeeded  in  establishing 
himself  firmly  along  the  coast,  battling  continually  with  the  Indians; 
but  all  of  his  attempts  to  conquer  the  Chibcha  Kingdom,  situated  on  the 
high  plateau,  were  fruitless.  In  the  year  1536  Jimenez  de  Ouesada 
undertook  the  subjugation  of  the  Chibchas  and  at  the  same  time  two 


COAT  OF  ARMS  OF  COLOMBIA. 


VIEWS  OF  BOGOTA.  COLOMBIA. 

Upper  picture:  National  Capitol.  Center  picture:  Avenue  of  the  Republic.  Lower:  Western  end 

of  the  Plaza  of  Bolivar. 

Bogota,  the  capital  of  the  Republic  of  Colombia,  has  beautiful  environs,  and  is  making  great  progress 
with  the  view  of  increasing  the  attractiveness  of  its  natural  location  The  traveler  always  remem- 
bers the  city  with  pleasure,  as  it  preserves  very  well  the  fascinating  atmosphere  of  classic  Spanish 
America. 


COLOMBIA. 


5 


other  expeditions,  for  the  same  purpose,  started  from  other  points,  that 
of  Frederman  and  of  Pizarro’s  first  lieutenant,  Benaleazar.  These 
three  expeditions  met  on  the  plateau,  and  it  was  due  only  to  the  tact 
and  diplomacy  of  Quesada,  that  strife  was  avoided.  Having  succeeded 
in  this,  he  established  friendly  relations  with  the  aborigines,  a highly  civil- 
ized people,  similar  to  the  Incas  of  Peru.  He  established  his  capital, 
the  present  city  of  Bogota,  at  the  site  of  the  old  Chibcha  capital  and 
explored  the  country  in  all  directions. 

A governor-general  was  appointed  by  Spain  and  the  name  changed 
to  the  Province  of  New  Granada,  and  in  the  year  1717  it  was  made  a 
viceroyalty.  The  first  viceroy  was  Antonio  de  la  Pedrosa  y Guerrero, 
and  New  Granada  was  successfully  governed  by  twelve  viceroys  until 
the  year  1810,  when  the  last,  Don  Antonio  de  Amar  y Borbon,  was 
deposed  by  the  citizens  of  Bogota.  Revolutionary  movements  had 
previously  been  initiated  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  but  the  war 
against  Spain  took  definite  form  in  July  of  that  year.  On  August  7, 
the  patriots  under  the  able  leadership  of  Gen.  Simon  Bolivar  and  F.  de 
P.  Santander  utterly  defeated  the  royalist  forces  at  Boyaca. 

Bolivar  succeeded  in  effecting  a union  between  Venezuela  and  the 
former  viceroyalty  of  New  Granada,  and  on  the  seventeenth  of  Decem- 
ber, 1819,  the  new  Republic  formally  adopted  the  title  of  the  Republic 
of  Colombia.  On  July  12,  1821,  a constituent  congress  met  at  Cucuta 
and  elected  Simon  Bolivar  as  the  first  President  of  the  “Greater  Colom- 
bia.” The  “Intendencia  de  Quito,”  now  the  Republic  of  Ecuador, 
joined  the  union  in  the  year  1822,  but  when,  on  December  17,  1830, 
Bolivar  died,  the  union  was  dissolved,  and  New  Granada  adopted  the 
title  of  the  Republic  of  New  Granada  on  November  17,  1831.  This 
title  was  subsequently  changed  to  that  of  the  Granadine  Confederation, 
later  to  that  of  the  United  States  of  Colombia,  and  lastly  to  the  Republic 
of  Colombia.  The  changes  of  name  indicate  the  various  phases  of  the 
development  of  the  republic.  Colombia  finally  resolved  to  adopt  the 
unitary  republican  form  of  government  and  has  maintained  it  ever 
.since  as  best  fitted  for  the  country. 

CONSTITUTION  AND  GOVERNMENT 

By  the  constitution  adopted  August  4,  1886,  the  Republic  of  Colombia 
abolished  the  Federal  Union  and  the  sovereignty  of  the  several  States 
and  adopted  the  unitary  republican  form  of  government,  with  legisla- 
tive, executive,  and  judicial  branches. 

The  Senate  and  the  House  of  Representatives,  constituting  the 
National  Congress,  are  intrusted  with  the  legislative  power,  the  former 
chamber  consisting  of  thirty-five  and  the  latter  of  ninety-two  members. 
Senators  are  elected  indirectly  for  a term  of  four  years  by  electors  chosen 


Courtesy  of  The  South  American. 

THE  PRESIDENTIAL  PALACE  AT  BOGOTA.  COLOMBIA. 

The  home  of  the  president  is  one  of  the  handsomest  buildings  at  the  capital.  Stately  and  dignified,  it  is  an 

attractive  feature  of  the  city. 


COLOMBIA. 


7 


for  the  purpose,  and  representatives  are  elected  by  direct  vote  of  the 
people  for  a term  of  two  years,  at  the  rate  of  one  for  every  50,000  inhab- 
itants. Two  substitutes  are  elected  for  each  senator  and  representative 
to  replace  them  in  case  of  absence  or  inability  to  serve.  Congress  meets 
at  the  capital,  Bogota,  every  year  on  July  20,  for  a period  of  ninety  days. 
It  may  prolong  its  sessions  for  thirty  days,  or  be  called  in  extra  session 
by  the  President. 

The  President  is  elected  by  direct  vote  of  the  people  for  a term  of  four 
years.  There  is  no  vice-president,  but  two  designados,  first  and  second, 
elected  annually  by  the  Congress,  succeed  the  President,  respectively, 
in  case  of  his  absence,  death,  or  inability  to  serve. 

The  President  is  assisted  by  a cabinet  of  eight  members  who  are  the 
heads  of  their  respective  departments. 

President,  Dr.  Jose  Vicente  Concha  (inaugurated  August  7,  1914). 

First  Designado. 

Second  Designado. 

Minister  of  the  Interior. 

Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

Minister  of  Finance. 

Minister  of  War. 

Minister  of  Public  Instruction. 

Minister  of  Agriculture  and  Commerce. 

Minister  of  Public  Works. 

Minister  of  the  Treasury. 

The  Department  of  the  Interior  (Ministerio  de  Gobierno)  is  intrusted 
with  the  administration  of  the  various  departments  and  national  terri- 
tories, the  post  and  telegraph  offices,  hospitals  and  charitable  institu- 
tutions,  sanitation  and  the  maintenance  of  public  health;  also  of  the 
courts  and  penal  institutions  since  Colombia  has  no  department  of  jus- 
tice. This  department  is  also  charged  with  the  supervision  of  the  press 
of  the  country.  The  rural  and  national  police  also  come  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  this  department. 

The  Department  of  Foreign  Affairs  (Ministerio  de  Relaciones  Exte- 
riores)  has  charge  of  the  diplomatic  and  consular  corps  and  the  mainte- 
nance of  foreign  relations  through  them,  as  well  as  the  settlement  of 
international  boundary  disputes. 

The  Department  of  Finance  (Ministerio  de  Hacienda)  prepares  the 
annual  budget,  collects  and  disburses  all  public  funds,  and  has  charge  of 
the  service  of  the  public  debt,  the  customhouses  and  internal-revenue 
offices  and  the  control  of  the  valuable  salt  deposits. 

The  War  Department  (Ministerio  de  Guerra)  has  charge  of  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  army  and  navy,  and  attends  to  the  instruction  and 


THE  POST  OFFICE  BUILDING  AT  BOGOTA.  COLOMBIA 

The  postal  department  has  about  700  post  offices  distributed  throughout  the  country,  and  these  handle 
approximately  7,000,000  pieces  of  mail  matter  per  year. 


COLOMBIA. 


9 


training  of  citizens  of  the  reserve  forces.  The  military  and  naval  col- 
leges are  also  under  its  control. 

The  Department  of  Public  Instruction  (Ministerio  de  Instruccion 
Publica)  exercises  supervision  and  control  over  the  public  schools,  high 
schools,  colleges,  and  institutes  for  special  instruction,  among  the  latter 
being  the  National  School  of  Commerce,  the  National  School  of  Fine 
Arts,  and  the  National  Academy  of  Music.  It  also  has  charge  of  the 
National  Library,  the  National  Museum,  and  the  Astronomical  Observa- 
tory, and  through  the  various  sanitary  commissions  and  health  boards 
frequently  intervenes  in  matters  concerning  the  public  health. 

The  Department  of  Agriculture  and  Commerce  (Ministerio  de  Agri- 
cultura  y Comercio)  is  charged  with  the  work  of  promoting  agriculture 
and  commerce  in  the  broadest  sense.  Among  its  duties  are  the  en- 
couragement of  education  in  all  branches  of  agriculture,  veterinary, 
horticulture,  and  the  establishment  of  practical  and  experimental 
schools;  the  administration  and  development  of  national  forests  and 
mines.  Under  commerce  comes  the  study  and  control  of  savings  banks, 
chambers  of  commerce,  patents  and  trademarks,  weights  and  measures, 
investigations  and  studies  on  economic  and  commercial  needs,  costs  of 
transportation  and  insurance,  production  and  consumption  statistics, 
imports  and  exports,  crop  zones  and  areas,  and  rents  and  property 
movements. 

The  Department  of  Public  Works  (Ministerio  de  Obras  Publicas)  is 
intrusted  with  the  encouragement  and  regulation  of  manufacturing 
industries,  mines,  agriculture,  forests,  public  lands,  the  regulation  of 
navigation,  the  administration  of  railways,  the  maintenance  of  roads  and 
bridges,  of  public  buildings,  and  other  public  works. 

The  Department  of  the  Treasury  (Ministerio  del  Tesoro)  is  charged 
with  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  budget.  It  also  has  charge  of  the 
mint,  the  printing  of  bank  notes,  and  the  emission  of  bonds. 

The  judiciary  power  is  vested  in  a Supreme  Court  of  Justice  consist- 
ing of  nine  magistrates,  a superior  Tribunal  for  each  Department,  and  a 
number  of  minor  judges.  The  Supreme  Court  is  elected  by  Congress 
from  names  submitted  to  it  by  the  President  for  a term  of  five  years. 
The  justices  of  the  Superior  Tribunals  are  elected  by  the  Supreme  Court 
for  a period  of  four  years  and  are  chosen  from  names  submitted  to  it  by 
the  respective  Departmental  Assemblies.  There  are  also  a number  of 
minor  judges. 

The  permanent  army  consists  of  about  6,000  men.  The  President, 
however,  is  authorized  to  increase  this  number  to  20,000  in  case  of  pub- 
lic necessity.  Military  service  is  compulsory,1  and  the  total  war 
strength  of  the  armed  forces  is  estimated  at  120,000.  The  navy  com- 

xThe  service  is  compulsory  in  the  sense  that  the  standing  army  is  drafted,  one-third  every  year,  so 
that  the  entire  army  is  renewed  every  three  years. 


COLOMBIAN  MONUMENTS 


COLOMBIA. 


I I 

prises  five  cruisers,  three  gunboats,  one  troop  ship,  and  other  auxiliary 
vessels. 

There  are  about  700  post  offices  in  the  Republic,  handling  approxi- 
mately 7,000,000  pieces  of  mail  matter  per  annum.  There  are  over  500 
telegraph  offices,  with  20,000  kilometers  (12,000  miles)  of  Government 
lines  in  operation.  The  Government  has  the  control  of  these  systems. 
Contracts  have  been  concluded  for  establishing  wireless  stations  at 
Bogota,  Buenaventura,  Medellin,  Santa  Marta,  the  island  of  San  Andres, 
and  Cartagena  for  communication  with  the  West  Indies,  Panama,  and 
Venezuela.  Plans  are  also  under  way  for  wireless  stations  at  Arauca, 
Bucaramanga,  Cali,  Cucuta,  Manizales,  Orocue,  Riohacha,  Tamala- 
meque  or  El  Banco,  and  Tumaco. 

Under  Decree  No.  340  of  1910,  and  subsequent  decrees,  the  Republic 
has  been  divided  into  fourteen  Departments,  three  Territories  or  “ Inten- 
dencies,” and  seven  “ Comisarias”  or  special  districts.  Executive 
authority  in  each  Department  is  vested  in  a governor  appointed  by  the 
President,  while  the  Intendencies  and  Comisarias  are  governed  by  special 
commissioners.  The  provincial  and  district  executive  authorities  are 
likewise  appointed  by  the  President,  but  municipal  councils  are  elected 
by  direct  vote  of  the  people. 

Colombia  maintains  as  diplomatic  representative  to  the  United  States 
a Minister  at  Washington.  It  has  a Consul  General  in  New  York; 
Consuls  in  Mobile,  San  Francisco,  Chicago,  New  Orleans,  Baltimore, 
Boston,  Newark,  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati,  Philadelphia,  Norfolk  (Va.), 
and  in  Ponce  and  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico;  Vice-Consuls  in  Los  Angeles, 
New  York,  New  Orleans,  and  Norfolk,  and  a Consular  Agent  in  Gulf- 
port (Miss.).  The  United  States  maintains  a Minister  at  Bogota,  and 
has  Consuls  in  Barranquilla  and  Cartagena,  Vice  Consuls  in  Barranquilla 
and  Cartagena,  and  Consular  Agents  in  Cali,  Medellin,  and  Santa 
Marta. 

The  monetary  unit  in  Colombia  is  the  gold  peso,  equivalent  to  approx- 
imately $0,973.  It  weighs  1.5976  grams  and  is  0.9167  fine.  The  multi- 
ple of  the  gold  dollar  is  the  pound  ($5.00).  The  subsidiary  coins  are 
silver  and  nickel.  The  former  are  0.900  fine,  and  in  denominations  of 
50,  20,  and  10  centavos;  the  latter  are  1,  2,  and  5 centavos.  The  ordi- 
nary medium  of  exchange  is  the  paper  peso,  convertible  at  and  repre- 
senting the  above  gold  peso. 

The  capital  of  the  Republic  is  the  city  of  Bogota,  with  a population 
not  much  short  of  150,000,  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  on  the  tem- 
perate plateau,  at  an  elevation  of  8,564  feet  (2,610  meters).  It  lies  in 
a healthful  and  productive  region,  with  higher  mountain  ranges  sur- 
rounding it.  As  the  valleys  in  the  neighborhood  are  well  inhabited  by 
an  industrious  people,  an  abundant  and  remarkably  varied  food  supply 


HISTORIC  POINTS  IN  SANTA  MARTA.  COLOMBIA. 

Santa  Marta  was  the  first  city  founded  on  Colombian  soil  by  the  white  man.  It  owes  its  inception  to 
the  Spanish  explorer,  Rodrigo  de  Bastidas.  who  set  up  the  flag  of  his  country  in  the  blue  bay  beneath 
the  mountains  of  Tairona  in  the  year  1525. 

Upper  picture:  Statue  of  Bolivar  at  San  Pedro  Alejandrino,  just  outside  of  the  city  of  Santa  Marta. 
Center  picture:  The  home  of  San  Pedro  Alejandrino  where  Bolivar  passed  away.  Lower  picture- 
Government  palace  at  Santa  Marta. 


COLOMBIA. 


13 


is  one  of  the  attractive  features  of  the  city.  The  difficulty  of  approach 
from  the  sea,  as  will  be  explained  under  railways,  is  the  only  reason  why 
Bogota  is  not  regularly  visited  by  foreigners  as  it  deserves.  Among  the 
notable  public  buildings  are  the  presidential  palace,  the  national  capitol, 
the  cathedral,  several  banks,  and  the  schools  of  medicine,  law,  and  engi- 
neering. The  city  of  next  importance  in  the  Republic  is  Medellin,  now 
accessible,  except  for  a short  ride  over  a good  road,  by  railway  from 
Puerto  Berrio,  one  of  the  Magdalena  River  ports.  Medellin  is  quite 
modern,  although  with  a history  back  to  the  early  days  of  the  country, 
and  its  commercial  activity,  and  the  general  energy  and  ambition  of  the 
people,  make  it  a most  attractive  city.  Its  population  is  approaching 
75,000.  Cali,  with  almost  30,000  inhabitants,  is  the  interior  city  for 
the  Pacific  port  of  Buenaventura,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  most 
advanced  cities  in  the  Republic.  The  chief  ports  on  the  salt  water  are 
Buenaventura,  already  mentioned,  destined  to  become,  with  the  devel- 
opment of  Canal  operations,  important  for  all  the  western  region  of 
Colombia;  Cartagena  on  the  Caribbean  Sea,  the  classical  port  of  the 
vSpanish  Main;  Barranquilla,  head  of  the  steamer  service  for  the  Magda- 
lena River  traffic,  and  Santa  Marta,  now  revived  into  great  importance 
byjffie  increasing  banana  interests  of  this  coast. 

PRODUCTS  AND  INDUSTRIES 

The  coast  and  hot  regions  of  the  Republic  produce  corn,  sugar  cane, 
sea-island  cotton,  rubber,  cacao,  bananas,  fibers,  tropical  fruits  and  vege- 
tables, while  the  mountains  and  uplands  yield  coffee,  apples,  peaches, 
berries,  potatoes,  wheat,  barley,  and  in  fact  all  of  the  products  of  the 
Temperate  Zone.  The  entire  country  is  suitable  for  stock  raising,  the 
pastures  in  many  sections  remaining  green  the  year  round. 

On  the  Magdalena,  an  adequate  labor  supply  is  obtainable  for  large 
plantations  of  bananas  as  well  as  of  cacao  and  rubber.  The  valleys  of 
the  Atrato  and  Leon  have  long  been  recognized  as  having  proper  charac- 
teristics for  the  cultivation  of  these  products.  With  a sufficient  popu- 
lation the  Santa  Marta  district  could  within  a few  years  increase  its 
importance  tenfold.  On  the  Sinu  River  there  is  also  much  good  banana 
land,  as  well  as  an  area  suited  to  the  cultivation  of  oranges,  pineapples, 
alligator  pears,  and  many  other  tropical  products.  This  is  the  great 
cattle  belt.  It  is  also  the  source  of  the  cedar  and  mahogany  exported 
from  Colombia. 

The  coffee  crop  of  the  Republic  yields  annually  about  1 ,000,000  bags 
(bag  contains  60  kilos  or  132  pounds)  produced  by  125,000,000  coffee 
plants.  Next  to  Brazil,  it  exports  more  coffee  than  any  other  country 
and  the  industry  in  Colombia  represents  an  investment  of  $37,500,000, 
making  it  probably  the  most  important  in  the  country.  During  1915 


COLOMBIA. 


J5 


the  coffee  exports  were  valued  at  more  than  half  of  the  total  exports. 
The  United  States  consumes  the  bulk  of  Colombian  coffee  and  took 
1 1 1,077,449  out  of  the  149,1 1 1,674  pounds  exported  that  year.  The  prin- 
cipal coffee  districts  are  the  Department  of  Cundinamarca,  which  pro- 
duces the  renowned  Bogota  brand;  the  Ocana,  Cucuta,  and  Bucara- 
manga  districts  in  the  Department  of  Santander,  and  in  the  Tolima 
and  smaller  valleys  of  the  Cordilleras. 

The  gathering  of  ivory  nuts,  the  fruit  of  the  tagua  palm,  from  which 
the  higher  grades  of  buttons  are  manufactured,  is  one  of  the  growing 
industries  of  the  country.  The  exports  of  this  product  during  1915 
were  valued  at  $343,264. 

In  some  departments,  notably  Antioquia,  the  mineral  industry  is 
well  established,  while  the  Marmato  and  Sucio  River  gold  deposits  are 
said  to  be  equal  to  those  of  the  Transvaal.  It  is  said  that  the  entire 
Pacific  coast  of  Colombia  has  been  formed  by  gold-bearing  alluvial,  so 
that  with  more  effective  development  a great  mining  center  will  be 
established.  The  great  gold-bearing  region  is  found  in  the  Department 
of  Antioquia  and  in  the  mountain  ranges  that  separate  the  Cauca  and 
Magdalena  Rivers.  In  this  large  area  of  many  thousands  of  square 
miles,  wherever  there  is  gravel  there  is  gold,  and  back  in  the  mountains, 
where  the  rock  has  been  laid  bare,  veins  are  found  everywhere.  These 
veins  contain  treasures  of  gold  that  can  be  extracted  by  the  systematic 
use  of  modern  machinery  and  methods.  Many  hundreds  of  miles  of 
this  rich  territory  have  never  been  explored  except  by  the  Indian  hunter. 

Recent  gold  discoveries  near  Neiva,  on  the  upper  Magdalena  River, 
have  opened  up  a new  section  of  the  gold  belt.  It  is  known  that  the 
Department  of  Narino,  bordering  on  the  Ecuador  line,  is  rich  in  the 
precious  metal.  Gold  nuggets  are  found  in  the  gravel  beds  of  all  the 
rivers  of  this  section  flowing  into  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Discoveries  have 
also  been  made  of  rich  gold-bearing  quartz  on  the  headwaters  of  the 
Andagueda  and  Chirvigo  Rivers,  distant  about  125  miles  from  Quibdo. 

Copper  ores  are  very  abundant  in  Colombia,  but  owing  to  the  richness 
of  the  country  in  gold  and  silver  little  attention  has  been  paid  to  the 
common  metals.  When  the  value  of  the  copper  deposits  becomes  better 
known  and  appreciated,  Colombia  will  without  doubt  rank  as  one  of 
the  greatest  copper-producing  countries  of  the  world.  Copper  ores  are 
found  in  the  Ocana  and  Velez  districts,  in  the  Department  of  Santander, 
in  the  districts  of  Moniguica  and  Santa  Rosa,  in  the  Department  of 
Boyaca,  and  in  the  Department  of  Antioquia. 

Russia  is  the  only  country  whose  platinum  output  exceeds  that  of 
Colombia.  This  metal,  which  is  always  found  mixed  with  gold,  comes 
from  the  gravels  of  the  Choco  district,  its  main  source  being  the  Platina 
and  Condota  Rivers,  which  are  tributary  to  the  San  Juan  River.  It  is 
also  obtained  from  some  of  the  streams  that  flow  into  the  Atrato  River. 


CATTLE  IN  THE  CAUCA  VALLEY,  COLOMBIA. 

The  Cauca  Valley,  by  reason  of  its  topography  and  its  combination  of  pasture  and  table  lands,  con- 
stitutes one  of  the  richest  natural  resources  of  Colombia.  Hills  and  mountains,  valleys  and  plains, 
cultivated  fields  and  uncultivated  lands,  forest  and  prairies,  all  combine  to  make  the  region  beautiful 
and  attractive.  The  soil  is  wonderfully  adapted  to  cattle  raising  and  agriculture. 


COLOMBIA. 


17 


Coal  is  found  in  the  Cordillera,  lignite  on  the  coasts,  and  coking  and 
steam  coal  in  the  interior.  Valuable  deposits  have  been  discovered 
recently  between  the  Atrato  and  Leon  Rivers;  in  short,  the  Colombian 
coal  fields  are  well  located  to  take  advantage  of  the  market  facilities 
which  are  becoming  available  with  the  operation  of  the  Panama  Canal. 

The  petroleum  deposits  are  said  to  resemble  those  of  the  Beaumont, 
Texas,  oil  fields.  The  quality  of  the  product  is  excellent  and  it  wras 
awarded  the  first  prize  in  the  Centennial  Exposition  held  at  Bogota  in 
July,  19  10.  Refineries  have  been  established  for  the  elaboration  of  gaso- 
line, benzine,  paraffin,  and  other  by-products  from  the  crude  petroleum. 

Iron  ores  are  abundant  in  the  Republic,  and  shipments  of  high-grade 
asphalt  are  made  from  Santander. 

The  principal  manufacturing  industries  are  those  for  the  making  of 
textile  goods,  glass,  earthenware,  matches,  hats,  iron  foundries,  and 
flour  and  sugar  mills. 

All  or  very  nearly  all  the  emeralds  mined  today  come  from  Colombia. 
And,  in  spite  of  the  supposed  higher  value  of  diamonds,  the  emerald  is 
the  most  precious  of  gems.  Carat  for  carat,  a flawless  emerald  would 
bring  perhaps  three  times  the  price  of  a flawless  diamond  in  the  jewelry 
market.  India,  the  storehouse  of  precious  stones,  is  credited  with  pro- 
ducing the  first  emeralds,  but  the  oriental  emerald  is  not  identical  with 
the  modern  gem,  as  it  is  a variety  of  the  ruby,  of  a green  color  and 
extremely  rare. 

“Smaragdus,”  the  Greek  word  from  which  emerald  is  traced,  really 
meant  any  green  stone,  and  this  led  to  some  confusion  in  identifying 
the  true  character  of  the  jewels  referred  to  under  this  name  in  ancient 
writings.  Now  the  name  is  only  applied  to  that  gem  of  the  beryl  family 
of  a bright  green  color  (due  to  traces  of  a quantity  of  oxide  of  chromium), 
a translucent  hexagonal  crystal  with  glass-like  luster  and  uneven  frac- 
ture, composed  of  silica,  alumina,  glucina,  magnesia,  and  soda.  It  is 
brittle  and  comparatively  soft  when  fresh  from  the  mines,  but  hardens 
on  exposure  to  air.  Today  emeralds  are  found  in  Austria,  in  Siberia, 
in  India  and  especially  in  Colombia. 

Tradition  has  it  that  an  Aztec  gem  appropriated  by  Cortez  was  val- 
ued at  40,000  ducats.  Another  wonderful  stone,  the  size  of  an  ostrich 
egg,  was  found  in  the  Manka  Valley,  Peru,  where  the  Indians  worshipped 
it  as  the  Goddess  of  Emeralds.  The  Spanish  conquerors  opened  up 
the  mines  of  Colombia  in  1540.  The  richest  mineral  areas  were  those 
of  Muzo  and  Coscuez,  about  75  miles  (121  kilometers)  north  of  Bogota, 
and  the  Somondoco  or  Chivor  group,  about  80  miles  (129  kilometers) 
northeast  of  Bogota,  at  an  elevation  of  about  6,500  feet  (say  2,000 
meters)  above  sea  level.  A curious  fact  in  the  history  of  these  latter 
mines  is  that  they  were  closed  and  lost  to  the  world  in  an  enveloping 
forest  of  jungle  for  over  a hundred  years  and  only  rediscovered  some 
12  or  15  years  ago. 


EMERALD  MINING  IN  COLOMBIA. 

Upper  (Left)  Characteristic  shapes  of  the  emerald  crystals  found  in  the  Muzo  mines.  (Right)  Cross 
section  of  a remarkable  emerald  crystal  recently  found  at  Muzo,  showing  carbonaceous  impurities 
disposed  along  crystallographic  lines  so  as  to  form  a six-rayed  star  pattern.  Center:  The  emerald 
in  matrix.  Lower  (Photo  by  J.  E.  Pogue)  Panoramic  view  of  buildings  and  open  cuts  at  Muzo 
mines.  The  yield  from  this  mine,  both  in  quantity  and  quality  of  good  stones,  has  exceeded  the 
total  of  any  other  emerald  deposit  in  the  world. 


COLOMBIA. 


19 


The  Government  of  Colombia  controls  the  exploitation  of  emeralds, 
leasing  the  mining  districts  to  the  working  companies.  The  Muzo 
group,  from  which  the  finest  emeralds  come,  has  an  estimated  yearly 
output  of  262,548  carats  of  the  first  class,  467,690  second  class,  22,700 
third  class,  and  16,000  fourth  class.  The  Coscuez  group,  named  for 
an  Indian  princess,  which  produced  the  variety  of  emerald  called  eanu- 
tillo,  one  of  the  most  valuable  stones,  is  now  in  the  category  of  “lost 
mines,"  the  exact  location  being  unknown.  The  Somondoco  or  Chivor 
group,  not  now  being  worked,  is  supposed  to  possess  a matrix  that 
would  yield  a half  million  dollars’  worth  of  emeralds  a year. 

The  Cuincha  group,  across  the  Minero  River  from  the  Muzo  mines, 
forms  a new  field  of  much  promise. 

The  emerald-mining  country  of  Colombia  is  extremely  inaccessible, 
and  the  difficulties  of  transport  force  a recourse  to  the  simplest  methods 
in  order  to  extract  the  stones.  The  Muzo  mine  is  in  what  seems  to  be 
the  bowl  of  an  extinct  volcano,  and  the  method  in  use  there  is  typical. 
Twenty  or  thirty  laborers  with  picks  and  crowbars  break  out  the  face 
of  the  crater  along  a determined  line,  leaving  a trail  of  green  quartz  that 
contains  the  crystals;  the  quartz  is  then  cut  and  separated  with  the 
greatest  care,  for  the  gems  are  extremely  fragile  when  in  the  matrix,  and 
the  debris  dropped  into  a sluiceway,  where  it  is  washed  by  a stream  of 
water  coming  with  force  from  the  higher  planes  of  the  mine ; the  water 
is  then  drained  off  and  the  sediment  searched  for  the  green  gems.  It 
was  by  just  this  method  that  the  most  valuable  single  emerald  in  the 
world  was  found. 

COMMERCE  FOR  1915 

The  total  foreign  trade  of  Colombia  for  the  year  1915  amounted  to 
$49,419,481,  of  which  $17,840,350  represented  imports,  and  $31,579,131 
exports.  The  figures  for  the  year  1914  were:  Imports,  $20,979,229; 
exports,  $32,632,884;  total,  $53,612,113.  There  was,  therefore,  a 
decrease  for  the  year  1915  as  compared  with  the  preceding  year  of 
$3,138,879  in  imports,  and  of  $1,053,753  in  exports,  or  a total  decrease 
in  foreign  trade  of  $4,192,632. 

The  balance  of  trade  in  favor  of  the  Republic  for  the  year  1915  was 
$113,738,781.  In  1914  it  was  $1 1,653,655. 


Ten-Year  Table  of  Foreign  Trade 


Y ear. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

Total. 

1906 

$10,608,394 

$14,613 ,918 

$25  ,222 ,312 

19^7 

12 ,088,563 

14 ,480 ,711 

26,569,274 

1908 

13 .513 ,889 

14,998,734 

28 ,512,623 

1909 

11  ,117,927 

1 6 , 040 ,193 

27,158,120 

1910 

17.383,039 

17 ,625 ,152 

35,008,191 

1911 

18 , 108 ,863 

22 .375 ,899 

40 ,484 ,762 

1912 

23 ,964,623 

32,221 ,746 

56,186,369 

I9I3 

28,535,780 

34,315 ,252 

62 ,851 ,032 

1914 

20,979 . 229 

32 ,632,884 

53 ,612 , 1 13 

1915 

17 ,840,350 

31  .579>i3i 

49 .419 .481 

WASHING  DEBRIS  FOR  EMERALDS  IN  COLOMBIA. 

Formerly  the  search  for  emeralds  was  carried  on  though  galleries  or  wells,  but  this  method  has  been 
abandoned  in  favor  of  working  by  free  excavation.  The  deposits  are  worked  from  their  highest 
point  downward.  The  men  stand  upon  narrow  terraces  in  the  great  open  cuts  from  which  they 
pry  the  rocks  loose  by  means  of  long  crowbars.  After  removing  the  loose  earth  covering  the  stones, 
thcidebris  is  washed  in  the  abundant  supply  of  water  found  within  easy  reach  of  the  mines. 


COLOMBIA. 


21 


IMPORTS 

The  imports  by  countries  of  origin  for  the  last  five  years  were : 


Countries. 

191 1 

1912 

1913 

1914 

U915 

United  States 

$5 ,404,976 

$7  ,612 ,037 

$7 ,629 ,500 

$6 ,486 , 749 

2$8 ,980, 177 

United  Kingdom 

5 ,838,789 

7,838,879 

5,837 ,400 

6,346.386 

5 , 800 , 000 

France 

1 ,718, 748 

2 ,01 1 ,886 

4 , 408 , 600 

1 ,249  .374 

850,000 

Germany 

Italy 

3,242,635 

4 , 201 , 1 25 
596,881 
476  ,969 

570,919 

60 , 724 
595 .203 

4,012 ,100 
726 , 100 

2 ,570,424 
625 ,492 
570,257 

407,525 

82,181 

400 , 000 

397.733 

499 ,000 

Other  Countries  

1 .505 .982 

5 .423 ,080 

2 ,640 , 841 

1 ,810,173 

Total 

$18,108 ,863 

$23,964,623 

$28,535 .780 

$20,979 ,229 

$17,840,350 

'Estimated. 

2United  States  exports  to  Colombia. 


The  imports  by  major  groups  of  articles  for  the  last  five  years  were 
as  follows: 


Articles. 

191 1 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

$8,025 ,856 

$10,547 , 134 

$1 1 ,455 .233 

$6,785 ,236 

$6,511 ,472 

Metals  and  manufac- 

tures 

Foodstuffs  and  condi- 

2 ,004 ,082 

2,916,925 

3,163,697 

2 ,670,472 

1 ,435,405 

ments 

2,191 , 009 

3 ,054,953 

2,817 .420 

1 ,974,469 

2,296,935 

Locomotion : Railway 

cars, carriages,  wagons. 

726 ,048 

1 ,031 ,711 

1,164,104 

1 ,027 ,950 

660,045 

h 

Soft  drinks,  wines  and 

liquors 

628 ,596 

835 .772 

1 ,051 ,412 

747 ,657 

309.544 

Drugs  and  medicines 
Materials  for  the  arts 

762 , 209 

838,349 

947 , * 89 

770,700 

818 ,942 

and  trades 

Firearms,  accessories 

702 ,856 

620,251 

904,317 

461 ,179 

246,510 

and  ammunition 
Paper,  school  and  office 

48 ,992 

57,439 

605 ,527 

265 ,987 

66,154 

supplies 

453.702 

477,522 

555 .609 

566,417 

508,243 

Lighting  and  fuel 
Crystal,  glass,  porcelain 

371 .447 

564,063 

523  ,502 

554.897 

607 ,056 

and  earthenware 
Agricultural  and  mining 

457 .381 

503,579 

520,229 

495  ,no 

249,047 

implements  and  ma- 

323 .074 

381 ,588 

503,875 

897 , 190 

891 ,302 

Hides  and  skins  and 

manufactures 

310,441 

459,607 

486 ,326 

380,776 

354,214 

Wood  and  manufactures 

226 ,373 

317,402 

359  .392 

249 ,480 

174,496 

Electrical  material 

100 ,090 

175,639 

320,261 

222  ,566 

159,343 

Animals 

7 . 179 

26,017 

289 ,478 

1 84 ,084 

8,822 

Oils  and  greases 

106,819 

I7G734 

159,067 

200,092 

185 ,671 

Perfumery  and  soap  . 

97 ,389 

152,170 

153,563 

1 15  .329 

90,128 

Varnish,  colors  and  ink 

104,345 

125 ,862 

151  .774 

122 , 170 
243,313 
82  ,994 

154. 921 
148,433 
41 ,803 

Rubber,  celluloid,  etc. 

84.505 

102 ,358 

148,436 

Musical  instruments 

55 .768 

69,623 

89 , 664 

70 , 850 

72 ,995 

Tortoise  shell,  horn,  etc 
Explosives  and  combus- 

53.501 

75 ,600 

78,237 

39,167 

14 ,826 

tibles 

38,420 

94,116 

68,843 

81 ,456 
7 ,964 

89 , 206 

7 .637 
307 ,551 
148,751 

Miscellaneous 

228 ,781 

365,209 

470,425 

1 ,548,400 

149 ,076 
1 ,612,351 

1 ,280,898 

Total 

$18 , 108 ,863 

$23,964,623 

$28 ,535 ,780 

$20,979,229 

$17 ,840,350 

SCENE  NEAR  BARRANQUILLA.  COLOMBIA. 

Barranquilla  is  the  chief  port  of  entry  of  Colombia  and  is  a progressive  city  of  over  50.000  inhabitants 


ON  THE  MAGDALENA  RIVER.  COLOMBIA. 

Three  types  of  craft  used  on  the  Magdalena — steamer,  champan.  and  canoe.  The  first  stage  of  the 
journey  from  Barranquilla  to  Bogota,  the  capital,  is  made  by  fiat-bottom  stern- wheel  steamers  and 
requires  from  8 days  to  2 weeks. 


COLOMBIA. 


23 


EXPORTS 


The  exports  by  countries  of  destination  for  the  last  five  years  were: 


Countries. 

191  I 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

United  States 

United  Kingdom 

Venezuela 

Spain 

France 

$12,248  ,995 
4.596,138 

$15,832 ,882 
4,376 ,182 

$l8 ,86l ,800 

5 ,566,000 

$18,272,332 
5 ,874,512 

$21 ,945 ,602 
3 ,692 ,207 
1 ,590,779 
419,885 
253 .986 
236 ,269 
I 26 ,5 IO 

97,585 

59.550 

I 19 ,654 
769 , 189 

302 ,918 
625 , 199 

797 ,900 

5i  ,996 
457,993 
2 1 ,078 
1 1 7 , 640 

173 ,726 
76,594 
1 ,779,393 
2 ,3>3 .076 

3 ,494 ,544 

593 , 700 
3,216 ,200 
5 ,279,652 

Germany 

Other  Countries 

Addition  for  market  val 
ues  over  customs  house 
values,  coffee  and 

I ,910,354 

2,731 ,569 

1,854,211 

9,230,354 

258 ,349 
2 ,898 ,409 

Total. 

$22  ,375.899 

$32 ,221 ,746 

f34.315.252 

$32 ,632 ,884 

S3 1 ,579,131 

Nearly  the  whole  value  of  exports  to  Venezuela,  as  shown  above, 
consisted  of  coffee  in  transit  shipped  through  the  Venezuelan  port  of 
Maracaibo. 


The  exports  by  major  groups  of  articles  were  as  follows: 


Articles. 

191 1 

1912 

1913 

1914 

1915 

Vegetable  products.  . . 

Mineral  products 

Animal  products . ... 
Manufactured  products 

Live  animals 

Miscellaneous  products 

Currency 

Gold  and  silver  coin  by 

$14.375 ,3°i 
4.507 .762 
1 ,960 ,410 
1 ,347 ,394 
92 ,852 
7 .445 
84,735 

$20,792  ,418 
7 ,769 ,388 
2 ,258 ,701 
1 ,210,678 
150,606 
3 * , 809 
8,146 

$23 ,975 ,300 

5,514,600 
3 ,362 ,700 
1,017,100 
85 , 800 
48,152 
300 , 100 

1 1 . 500 

$17,756,091 
6,377,624 
2 ,053 ,673 
1 ,416, 804 
17,617 
32  ,953 
1 ,482  ,779 

800 

$17,584,547 

6,336,742 

2 ,990 ,602 
1 ,110, 709 
1 2 1 , 000 
12 ,768 
524,353 

Addition  for  market  val- 
ues over  customs  house 
values,  coffee  and 

3 ,494,543 

2 ,898 ,410 

$22 ,375 ,899 

$32 ,221 ,746 

$34.315 ,252 

$32 ,632 ,884 

$31 ,579.131 

According  to  Vice-Consul  Claude  E.  Guyant,  Barranquilla,  the 
declared  value  of  the  principal  articles  invoiced  for  shipment  to  the 
United  States  in  1914,  1915  and  1916  were  as  follows: 


Articles. 

1914 

1915 

1916 

Balsam 

Bananas  

Cattle 

Cocoanuts 

Coffee 

Gold 

Hats  (Panama)  

Hides,  cattle  .... 

Ipecac 

Tagua  (ivory  nuts) 

Minerals  and  mineral  earth 

Platinum 

Rubber 

$32,578 

877,731 

1 ,600 
19 .54i 
1 2 , 243  ,012 
785 ,207 
1 ,080 ,508 
1 ,197  ,535 
43 , 660 
* 19 -459 
78,016 
357  ,519 
89 , 104 

$27,944 
863 , 483 
4>  ,255 

1 ,276 
1 2 ,632 ,829 
921  ,350 
566,683 
2 .079,343 

248,524 
95 ,645 

38,601 
504,302 
102  ,339 
7 ,424 

43.252 
*34,037 
129 ,046 
24.338 
95 .672 
66,911 

0) 

$1 ,667,213 

to 

(>) 

16,616,686 
2 ,066 ,941 
682 , 269 

3 ,575 .051 

167,219 

259.550 

0) 

1 ,456,648 
271,326 
(*) 

57,306 

249,239 

229 .336 

154.336 
44,686 

261 ,275 

Skins,  goat  and  deer 

Sugar 

Tanning  extract  and  mangrove 

Tobacco 

Woods  (cedar  and  mahogany)  . . . . 

All  other  articles 

83.057 

113.178 

54.576 

777 

86 , 706 
50,933 

$17 ,314,697 

$18,624,254 

$27 ,759 ,081 

0)  In  1915  included  in  all  other  articles. 


ill 


OVERLOOKING  THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  SANTA  MARTA,  COLOMBIA. 

Santa  Marta,  founded  in  1525,  was  the  first  settlement  of  the  Spaniards  on  the  northern  coast  of  what  is  now  Colombia.  In  1533  an  expedition  from  this  set 
ment  founded  the  nearby  city  of  Cartagena,  and  three  years  later  sent  forth  the  expedition  which  discovered  Bogota,  then  known  as  Mequeta  Simon  Boli 
died  in  1S30  on  the  San  Pedro  estate,  about  3 miles  from  the  city.  At  the  present  time  Santa  Marta  is  a flourishing  center  for  the  export  of  bananas  and  ot 
fruits,  being  the  terminal  of  a railroad  and  a shipping  port  for  the  steamers  of  the  United  Fruit  Co 


COLOMBIA. 


2 5 


RAILWAYS  AND  INTERIOR  WATERWAYS 

The  peculiar  geographical  features  of  the  Republic  have  rendered  the 
construction  of  extended  railroad  lines  a very  expensive  and  difficult 
undertaking.  The  chain  of  the  Andes  divides  the  southwestern  part 
of  the  country  into  three  distinct  ranges,  the  middle  one  of  which  ceases 
some  150  miles  (242  kilometers)  from  the  northern  coast,  thus  permitting 
the  Cauca  River,  which  rises  between  the  central  and  western  range, 
to  unite  with  the  Magdalena  some  distance  above  its  entrance  into  the 
Caribbean  Sea.  To  reach  Bogota  from  the  west  coast,  which  would  be 
by  far  the  shortest  route  from  the  ocean,  a railroad  would  have  to  trav- 
erse not  only  the  western  and  central  ranges,  but  mount  to  the  plateaus 
of  the  third  range,  on  which  the  capital  is  situated. 

The  Magdalena  River,  which  is  at  present  the  only  available  outlet 
from  Bogota  to  the  Atlantic  coast,  is  impassable  at  several  points  on 
account  of  rapids  and  has  a bar  at  its  mouth  which  impedes  navigation. 
Barranquilla,  at  which  point  the  river  journey  to  the  capital  begins,  is 
about  15  miles  (24  kilometers)  by  rail  from  the  seaport  of  Savanilla. 
The  traveler  can  also  make  the  trip  by  rail  from  Cartagena  to  Calamar, 
65  miles  (105  kilometers),  taking  the  steamer  at  the  latter  point.  A 
journey  by  water  is  then  made  to  La  Dorada,  where  a change  is  made  to 
the  railroad,  and  a second  river  trip  commenced  at  Puerto  Beltran,  and 
the  final  stage  of  the  journey  made  by  rail  from  Girardot  to  Bogota,  the 
total  time  consumed  being  about  seven  days. 

There  is  as  yet  no  continuous  railroad  system  within  the  Republic, 
but  there  are  many  short  lines  at  present  engaged  chiefly  in  local  traffic, 
which,  when  their  plans  are  fully  carried  out,  will  connect  the  coast  on 
both  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  sides  with  the  centers  of  production. 
Those  lines  which  tap  the  valleys  of  the  Atrato  and  Cauca  Rivers  will 
probably  at  some  future  date  form  a part  of  the  proposed  Pan  American 
railway  system. 

There  are  two  short  lines  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  Republic, 
but  the  interests  of  most  of  the  lines  now  in  operation  are  bound  up  with 
those  of  the  capital,  the  whole  eastern  and  southern  territory  from 
Bogota  to  the  Venezuela  and  Ecuador  boundaries  having  no  rail  con- 
nection with  the  more  settled  sections  of  the  country. 


A VIEW  OF  CARTAGENA.  COLOMBIA. 

Cartagena,  called  the  "Heroic  City,”  is  situated  on  the  Caribbean  coast,  and  was  founded  in  1533.  It  was  the  first  city  of  Colombia  to  declare  independence  of 
Spain  in  1811,  and  has  been  several  times  besieged,  the  most  memorable  siege  being  that  of  1815. 


COLOMBIA. 


27 


The  length  of  railways  in  operation  in  the  Republic  is  1,113  kilometers 
(about  690  miles).  The  following  table  shows  the  lines  in  actual  oper- 
ation and  the  mileage  of  each: 


Kilometers. 

Miles. 

Amaga  Railway 

36 

22.3 

Antioquia  or  Puerto  Berrio  Railway 

169 

105.0 

Bolivar  Railway 

28 

17-3 

Cartagena  Railway 

105 

65 . 2 

Cucuta  Railway 

55 

34  1 

Dorado  Railway 

33 

20.5 

Girardot  Railway 

132 

82.0 

Pacific  (Cauca)  Railway 

174 

108. 1 

Puerto  Wilches  (Great  Northern  Central)  Railway 

20 

12.4 

Honda- Ambalema 

82 

50.9 

Colombian  Northern  Railway 

62 

38.5 

Sabana  Railway 

40 

24 . 8 

Santa  Marta  Railway 

98 

60.8 

Tachira  Railway 

16 

9 9 

Tolima  Railway  

30 

18.6 

Total 

I.IX3 

690 . 8 

The  lines  from  Barranquilla  and  Cartagena,  as  already  stated,  run 
from  the  north  coast  and  connect  with  the  steamer  routes  on  the  Magda- 
lena River.  The  Santa  Marta  road  also  starts  on  the  north  coast  and 
runs  to  the  town  of  Fundacion,  on  the  river  of  the  same  name.  It  is 
the  outlet  for  a large  banana  district,  and  the  railroad  company  has 
contracted  for  extensions  into  new  territory  which  are  expected  to 
materially  increase  the  output  of  that  fruit.  The  bay  of  Santa  Marta 
offers  a safe  anchorage  all  the  year  round;  there  is  a wharf  with  accom- 
modations for  large  steamers  and  a depth  of  water  of  30  feet. 

The  Great  Northern  Central  line  starts  from  Puerto  Wilches,  on  the 
Magdalena,  and  is  under  construction  toward  Bucaramanga,  with  the 
ultimate  expectation  of  being  built  to  the  capital. 

The  Dorada  Railway  was  constructed  in  order  to  afford  a means  of 
easy  transportation  around  the  rapids  of  the  Magadalena,  which  here 
make  navigation  impossible.  The  line  extends  from  La  Dorada  through 
Honda  to  Ambalema,  but  passengers  leave  the  train  to  take  the  steamer 
route  to  Puerto  Beltran. 

The  Girardot  Railway  starts  at  the  Magdalena  and  joins  the  Sabana 
line  at  Faeatativa,  the  latter  line  running  direct  to  Bogota  and  thus 
completing  the  line  of  communication  between  the  Caribbean  Sea  and 
the  capital  of  the  Republic.  These  two  roads  are,  of  course,  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  Colombia,  for  previous  to  their  completion  it 
was  necessary  to  take  a long  trip  by  muleback  over  the  mountains  to 
the  river.  The  Tolima  Railway  is  a short  line  running  from  the  Mag- 
dalena at  Girardot  to  the  town  of  Chicoral,  and  it  is  planned  to  extend 
it  to  Ibague,  the  capital  of  the  Department  of  Tolima. 

Two  other  lines,  the  Colombian  Northern  and  the  Southern  Railway, 
run  from  Bogota  through  the  extensive  Savanas,  the  former  to  the 
north  and  the  latter  terminating  in  the  town  of  Sibate,  toward  the  south- 
west. The  Colombian  Northern  is  now  in  operation  to  Nemocon  and  is 


:r‘  ' 


Courtesy  of  The  American  Museum  Journal. 

THE  RUGGED  GRANDEUR  OE  COLOMRIA— PARAMO  VALLEY,  SANTA  ISAREI-. 

The  Paramo  cf  Santa  Isabel  lies  about  two  days'  journey  from  Salento,  the  largest  town  on  the  Quindio  trail,  whieh  crosses  the  central  Andes,  and  on  clear  days 
especially  toward  dusk,  can  be  seen  at  several  points  rising  above  the  forest-capped  ridges  to  an  altitude  of  between  16,000  and  17.000  feet 


COLOMBIA. 


29 


expected  to  continue  on  to  Chiquinquira,  66  miles  (106  kilometers) 
farther,  where  it  will  meet  the  Puerto  Wilches  line  to  be  extended  from 
Bucaramanga.  If  the  plans  for  this  route  are  carried  out,  these  two 
roads  will  form  a great  trunk  line  from  Bogota  to  the  Magdalena,  which 
will  not  only  shorten  the  distance  and  the  time  consumed  in  the  journey 
to  the  coast,  but  will  open  up  a vast  extent  of  territory  now  but  little 
developed. 

The  Cucuta  Railway  is  a short  line  connecting  the  city  of  that  name 
with  the  port  of  Villamizar,  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Zulia  River, 
with  an  extension  to  Tachira  on  the  Venezuelan  frontier. 

The  Pacific  Railway,  from  Buenaventura  on  the  west  coast,  runs 
to  the  prosperous  city  of  Cali  and  thence  through  the  Cauca  Val- 
ley. Cali  was  connected  with  the  Cauca  River  in  July,  1910,  by  a 
short  steam  tramway.  The  Pacific  line  is  expected  to  follow7  the  Valley 
of  the  Cauca  for  a considerable  distance,  and  will  furnish  an  outlet  to 
the  sea  for  the  increasing  commerce  of  that  district.  With  the  comple- 
tion of  this  line  and  the  railroad  connecting  the  Cauca  with  the  cities 
of  Amaga  and  Medellin,  also  that  between  Medellin  and  Puerto  Berrio 
on  the  Magdalena,  the  products  of  a large  part  of  the  Republic  wall  be 
much  more  easily  and  quickly  transported  to  foreign  markets  than  at 
present,  so  that  the  commerce  of  the  country  should  receive  an  impetus 
it  has  never  before  knowm. 

Colombia  has  a fine  system  of  waterways,  the  most  important  of 
which  is  the  Magdalena,  navigable  by  vessels  of  considerable  draft  for 
a distance  of  over  600  miles  (966  kilometers)  and  by  smaller  craft  300 
miles  (483  kilometers)  farther.  The  Atrato  is  navigable  for  200  miles 
(322  kilometers)  inland  and  the  Sinu  for  110  miles  (177  kilometers). 
The  Cauca,  the  Zulia,  the  Cesar,  the  Neehi,  the  Lebrija,  the  Sogamosc 
and  some  of  the  smaller  tributaries  are  also  navigable  for  various 
distances. 

Steamer  service  to  Colombia  is  maintained  on  both  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  sides.  To  Buenaventura  on  the  Pacific,  local  steamers  of  all 
lines  running  south  from  Panama  make  regular  passage,  the  distance 
being  355  miles  (571  kilometers);  express  steamers,  however,  do  not 
stop  at  Colombian  ports.  Cartagena  and  Barranquilla  (in  reality  this 
is  Savanilla,  for  Barranquilla  is  rather  the  city  on  the  River)  are  regular 
ports  of  call  for  steamers  between  Colon  and  European  ports,  on  such 
lines  as  the  Royal  Mail,  the  Hamburg- American  (Atlas  service),  the 
Compagnie  Generale  Transatlantique,  the  Veloee  and  the  Compahia 
Transatlantica.  Santa  Marta,  farther  to  the  east,  is  now7  in  direct  con- 
nection with  New  York  by  the  steamers  of  the  PInited  Fruit  Company. 

Some  of  the  interior  highways,  especially  from  Bogota  and  Medellin, 
are  so  well  built  that  automobile  service  is  conducted  on  them,  but  much 


FACULTY  OF  LAW  AND  POLITICAL  SCIENCE,  BOGOTA,  CENTRAL  SCHOOL  OF  ARTS  AND  CRAFTS,  BOGOTA, 

COLOMBIA.  COLOMBIA. 


COLOMBIA. 


31 


of  the  travel  from  place  to  place  must  be  restricted  to  cart  road  of  a 
rather  primitive  character,  or  even  to  mule  paths,  too  narrow  to  admit 
a wheeled  vehicle.  The  pleasures  of  these  journeys  fully  compensate, 
however,  for  the  lack  of  some  of  the  luxuries  available  to  the  traveler 
in  more  thickly  populated  countries. 

Colombia  is  a land  of  contrasts,  from  the  tropic  coast  to  the  temperate 
plateau  and  even  to  the  snow-clad  mountains  of  the  Cordillera.  It  has 
not  yet  become  a tourist  country,  although  every  attraction  of  natural 
beauty  can  be  found  there.  Near  Bogota  are  the  Falls  of  Tequendama, 
higher  than  Niagara  but  not  so  voluminous;  a miracle  spring  is  worth 
visiting,  and  manv  interesting  remains  of  the  aboriginal  inhabitants 
can  be  found  in  the  neighborhood  and  studied.  As  railway  facilities 
increase,  Colombia  is  sure  to  become  better  known  to  the  transient 
visitor. 

EDUCATION 

Education  in  Colombia  is  under  the  control  of  the  Minister  of  Public 
Instruction.  There  are  five  subdivisions,  designated  as  follows:  Pri- 
mary, secondary,  professional,  artistic  and  industrial.  According  to  the 
latest  figures  available,  there  were  reported  to  be  5,225  schools  with  an 
attendance  of  about  335,480  pupils.  In  1915  there  were  4,200  primary 
schools  with  298,541  pupils  in  attendance.  Many  of  the  schools  for 
secondary  education  are  entrusted  to  religious  bodies.  There  is  a 
university  at  Bogota,  founded  in  1572,  with  faculties  in  letters,  philos- 
ophy, law  and  political  sciences,  medicine  and  natural  sciences,  and  in 
mathematics  and  engineering.  A university  at  Medellin  was  founded 
in  1822,  and  there  is  also  the  University  of  Magdalena  at  Cartagena. 
Great  effort  has  been  made  to  establish  schools  of  arts  and  crafts  for 
the  working  classes,  and  gratifying  success  has  been  the  result.  The 
art  schools  in  the  larger  cities  are  always  well  attended.  Normal 
schools  to  the  number  of  twenty-one  have  been  founded  in  thirteen 
departments,  and  Medellin  and  Pasto  have  each  a mining  school. 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION  is  the  inter- 
national organization  and  office  maintained 
in  Washington,  D.  C.,  by  the  twenty-one 
American  republics,  as  follows:  Argentina,  Bolivia, 
Brazil,  Chile,  Colombia,  Costa  Rica,  Cuba,  Domini- 
can Republic,  Ecuador,  Guatemala,  Haiti,  Honduras, 
Mexico,  Nicaragua,  Panama,  Paraguay,  Peru,  Salva- 
dor, United  States,  Uruguay,  and  Venezuela.  It  is 
devoted  to  the  development  and  advancement  of 
commerce,  friendly  intercourse,  and  good  under- 
standing among  these  countries.  It  is  supported  by 
quotas  contributed  by  each  country,  based  upon  the 
population.  Its  affairs  are  administered  by  a Direc- 
tor General  and  Assistant  Director,  elected  by  and 
responsible  to  a Governing  Board,  which  is  com- 
posed of  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States 
and  the  diplomatic  representatives  in  Washington 
of  the  other  American  governments.  These  two 
executive  officers  are  assisted  by  a staff  of  inter- 
national experts,  statisticians,  commercial  special- 
ists, editors,  translators,  compilers,  librarians,  clerks 
and  stenographers.  The  Union  publishes  a Monthly 
Bulletin  in  English,  Spanish,  Portuguese  and  French, 
which  is  a careful  record  of  Pan  American  progress. 
It  also  publishes  numerous  special  reports  and  pam- 
phlets on  various  subjects  of  practical  information. 
Its  library,  the  Columbus  Memorial  Library,  con- 
tains 36,000  volumes,  18,000  photographs,  132,000 
index  cards,  and  a large  collection  of  maps.  The 
Union  is  housed  in  a beautiful  building  erected 
through  the  munificence  of  Andrew  Carnegie. 


